Hey guys, I actually got off my butt and did some writing. Er. Well. In my case I just told Chi what to type. What can I say… fluff is my forte… I don't own Naruto though. And Chi had a lot of input. So we pretty much wrote it together. And we still don't own Naruto. We're working on it though. And I DO own Katsu, so HA.

~(in)sincerely, Emi.

Naruto was sitting in a recliner after a long day of work, and his house was really quiet. He and Hinata had been married for about 3 or so years, and it was kind of funny. He never would have thought this could happen… four years ago…

At Sakura and Sasuke's wedding, he'd been upset, still thinking Sakura was his love. Right up until he heard them both say, and in Sasuke's case, grunt, 'I do', he'd been miserable. Then he'd looked at Hinata, really looked at her, for the first time. She was a Bride's Maid, Maid of Honor, actually, and he the Best Man. Well, you know what they say about the Maid of Honor and the Best Man. Naruto did, too. After those tearful, joyful, albeit painful, binding moments, the reception began, and went pretty smooth, as far as those things go. Hinata had been with Ino, Temari, and Tenten in the corner. Tenten had elbowed Hinata's ribs and said something which caused the other girls to collapse in peals of laughter, but which left Hinata beet red and staring into her drink for a while, even as the other girls left her, one by one, to dance. Naruto felt the word bubble up in his throat, and actually came out of his mouth. "Cute."

In that moment, she just looked…. Cute.

No one heard him say this, he was leaning against the wall, seemingly watching the newlyweds dance. Sasuke was actually smiling, holding her close, his feet moving elegantly in a way that one wouldn't expect of the great fighter, Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura was beaming so brightly, so blissfully, her feet didn't seem to touch the ground. The moment was so touching, so private, though they barely touched, that Naruto almost felt inclined to look away. They looked like the happiest people in the world, and Naruto envied that. Envied their smiles.

Naruto had never thought about getting married. Never thought about being a husband, or being a dad, he had never really thought about having a home and a family greater than his own one. He'd known that he wanted to be with Sakura. She was pretty, smart, funny, strong, what else would he want? But she never really seemed attainable, always, growing up, she was… Sasuke's. There was a part of her, no matter how small, that would always belong to Sasuke, no matter her feelings for Naruto… and besides, she'd never looked at Naruto like she looked at Sasuke… like Tenten looked at Neji… like Temari looked at Shikamaru, when she was sure no one else was watching, or even like when Anko had seen Kakashi, never like…. Hinata was looking at him now?

Her soft, shy lavender eyes had been peering at him, not sparkling with a secret like sakura's could, a secret she might whisper in your ear if she chose to do so. No, Hinata's eyes…. They were glowing, with an emotion that, until he'd seen Sasuke and Sakura dance, he never would have recognized. Hinata, who had been a very good friend over the years, Hinata, who had given him advice, Hinata, who had listened to him when no one else would, Hinata, who had explained Sakura's feelings to hi ma thousand times, Hinata, who had once given him some healing salve, a very long time ago, Hinata, who had fought so bravely when she knew she would loose, Hinata, who had helped him train, who had listened and comforted him with a smile, while breaking inside, Hinata, who was looking at him now, loved him.

And he'd never seen it before. Never seen how soft, pale, smooth her skin was, had never seen how endearing her flushed face was, who'd never appreciated her quiet, soothing voice. Hinata, who had looked at him that was since they were small, who was even now nervously twisting her fingers together, who had the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, when she smiled, Hinata, who he'd always been able to make smile.

And the way she was looking at him, it made him forget all about the wedding, about the two others lost in their world of love, about his 'feelings' for Sakura, he forgot about the Dance. He forgot about everything. All he knew, as he strode across the dance floor full of sighing, embracing couples swooning to a love song, as he pushed through the crowds of flashing cameras and confused glances, all he was aware of, as he approached Hinata, with an outstretched hand and a grin that only Naruto could produce, was his racing heart, beating as fast as hers had for the past ten years.

"Hey Hinata!"

Those pale lavender eyes widened as Hinata jumped in her seat, her heart kicking in to overdrive. "Y-yes, Naruto-kun?" She murmured softly. All those years, and she was the only one to call him '-kun'. Why hadn't he seen if before?

Naruto just grinned, that big, goofy, sheepish grin. "Dance with me!"

"W-what?" She squeaked, looking like a deer in headlights. Naruto just laughed and grabbed her hand.

"C'Mon! I've waited ten years to realize this!" He said laughing, and Hinata just let go of all sanity, allowing Naruto to pull her on the dance floor, feeling rather giddy, until she heard the music; then she tried to pull away.

"What's wrong, Hinata?"

"It's…it's a slow song." She said quietly, wanting nothing more than to fall into a mercifully deep hole for a couple hundred years.

Naruto blinked. "I know. Don't you wanna dance with me?"

She blinked and murmured, "Y-yes, but Naruto-kun…. this… this is the couple's dance…", laughing nervously.

"Iiiiiiiiiiiii know." Naruto said uncomprehendingly.

"Couple's dance. During this song. Single people…. Aren't allowed…. Friends don't count…." She finished rather glumly.

" still know."

"B-but…Naruto-kmph!" She couldn't finish the statement before Naruto had kissed her. Her hands, which had been gesturing vaguely during her protests, shot out into the air as her eyes shot open in alarm, before just dropping limply onto his shoulders, her eyes closing. Naruto put his hands on her waist and guided her out to the dance floor while she was still incoherent. Once she managed to get her thoughts somewhat complete, she gasped, "W-what? Mouth mine hands air dance drink kiss confused no? Me? You? HUH?" She finally finished, alarmed.

"What, you don't like my kissing?" Naruto said, grinning.

"N-no," A red-faced Hinata said, "Th-th-th-that's n-not it." She hadn't stuttered this much since she'd first seen Naruto train shirtless.

"Then what's the matter?" He said, smoothly managing to lead her in the dance without conscious effort on her part.

"D-d-d- YOU'RE NARUTO! NARUTO UZUMAKI!" She'd never spoken so loudly before. "AND I'M-"

"Going to bust a blood vessel if you're not careful. Calm down, Hinata." Naruto said, laughing as people stared.

"I'M SERIOUS- oh, no, wait, I'm sorry!" She turned even redder, her face border lining purple at this point.

"Hinata. Calm. Down." Naruto said slowly, very slowly, as if talking to a mentally unwell child.

She finally managed to regulate her breathing and began again, much more softly, "And I'm Hinata… Hinata Hyuga."

"So?"

"You like Sakura. Not me. Anybody but me."

Naruto smiled, the far away look in his eye something only a man in love could muster. "You're right. I like Sakura. And Ino. And Tenten. And Temari. I like them all." He hadn't listed her name.

Her face fell. "Oh… exa-"

He put a finger on her lips and laughed softly. "But I love you."

She fainted. He blinked. "Is that supposed to happen?" He said anxiously, looking around. Sakura laughed, nudging Sasuke.

"With Hinata, you're lucky her head didn't explode." Tenten commented.

About fifteen minutes, a bench, a fan, laughter, and a pack of ice later, Hinata came to, her head in Naruto's lap while he held a pack of ice there, talking nervously to Tenten and Neji.

"And she just fainted! Is that normal? What did I say?" Tenten snickered.

"I didn't exactly faint when Neji told me, I just tackled 'im." Neji nodded impassively. Tenten grinned.

And Hinata stirred, not opening her eyes. "Wh-wha? Did I hit my head?Tenten… I had the weirdest dream…" She'd heard Tenten's voice last, so she thought that only Tenten was there. Tenten, not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, put her finger to her lips and looked at Naruto before saying, "About?"

"Naruto-kun…. asked me to dance… and he said…" Her face reddened. "He said…"

Natuo interjected. "That I love you?"

She nodded, not registering it yet. "Yeah, that, but that's impossible; I mean he'd never love me bac- holy cow you just said it again!" She said, almost falling off the bench as her eyes opened. Naruto caught her and pulled her back, grinning.

"And I will keep saying I love you until you believe me. I love you, I love you, I love you Hinata, Hinata Hyuga, I love you." Tenten and Neji slipped away quietly back into the reception hall. You could see the light bulb click for Hinata, and a huge grin, not a smile, slowly, very slowly, oh so slowly, spread across her face.

"You…love…me…" She said, savoring the words. "Naruto…Uzumaki…loves me."

"So…uh…hey Hinata…"

"Yes?"

"Do you…um….maybe…..perhaps…like me a tad bit?" He said innocently, knowing the answer, but anxious to hear it, all the same.

She blinked slowly, then burst out laughing, clutching her side. Another fifteen minutes later, she calmed down. "Naruto…" For the first time, without the '-kun', "I love you too." It was the first time she'd spoken so surely, so calmly, so… absolutely, to him.

"That's great to hear." He said, grinning, and bending down to kiss her again. "Please don't turn purple this time." He said softly as his lips brushed hers for the second out of many times to come.

~There was a clattering sound that jerked him out of his reverie. "Hinata? You alright?" He called, walking towards the kitchen. Hinata looked up from her plate of ribs.

"For the fifth time, Naruto, I'm fine." She said with a sweet, barbeque-esqu smile. She'd been craving ribs that day, that week, actually. Before that, it had been celery sticks with melted cheeses. She wiped off her mouth and heaved herself out of the chair, her swollen belly brushing against the table. Naruto went to get the plate and rinse it off before kissing his wife and mother-to-be. "How's he doing?" The anxious soon-to-be-a-father Hokage asked, placing his hand on her baby bump.

"Kicking. As usual." Hinata said with a quiet laugh.

"Good or bad? Not even out of his mom yet, and our Katsu's trouble."

"Good. Always good. He's just a bit hyperactive." She smiled and kissed Naruto on the cheek. "Just like his father."

Naruto grinned and pulled her into his arms; the wife he loved so much, the family he never had.

The son he'd never even known he wanted, he'd never give up for the world. For the first time, Naruto understood why his father had died for him, for the village, for his family. Because for Hinata and their unborn son Katsu, Naruto would die a thousand times, fight a thousand Kyuubis. Simply because, when it came down to it… he'd always been lonely. Well…

Naruto wasn't lonely anymore.

And for the first time in her life…

Hinata had the family she'd always needed.~

Fin.

OTHER AUTHOR/TYPER'S NOTE: Hey guys, for the first time, it's Chi with an author's note! Yes, yes, we're back with a fluffy little piece on Sasuke and Sakura's wedding, how cute. I dictate what Emi says, with a few…minor… modifications. I certainly don't own Naruto, or Katsu, but I do own Emi. Read, review, comment, we want your HONEST opinions and ADVICE. Feedback, not fan mail. Criticism, not flames. We didn't start the fire. It was always burning since the world's been turning. I don't own Billy Joel, either.

OTHER OTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE-this is getting ridiculous-

Chi DOES NOT OWN ME. And, seriously, criticism, ok, but advice, please, we have low self esteem and we want your opinions. Not really. But you get it.